Blanchard and Peale (1990), the authors of the book The Power of Ethical Management
suggest that, when we are in doubt during decision-making, we should ask ourselves the
following three questions:
1. Is it legal? Will I thus break any civil laws or company regulations?
2. Has the relationship balance been achieved? Is it fair towards all it may concern, in both short- and long-term perspectives? Does it promote the relations of mutual profits?
3. How shall I feel afterwards? Will it make me proud? Would I feel good if my decision was published in the newspapers? Would I feel good if my family found out about it?
Business morality can be summarized by the following two recommendations:
- do as you say
- say as you do.
Ultimately one sentence can be regarded as a summary: Ethics and morality is what
you do, and not what you say.